The Canadian Postal Union ( CUPW ; French: Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes ) are public sector unions representing postal workers including mail carriers, letters and suburban messengers, postal clerks, posters and dispatchers, technicians, mechanics and electrical experts employed in the Canada Post as well as private sector workers outside Canada Post. Currently composed of more than 50,000 members, the Canadian Postal Union has historically been labeled a militant because of several actions taken since its establishment in 1965 to help secure the rights of all postal workers. According to former president Jean-Claude Parrot, "We managed to get membership support because we got our credibility with them... we got [militancy] reputation because we got it."
Video Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Histori
CUPW currently has approximately 54,000 members and has a long and vibrant history dating from 1965 when unions were formed from the Canadian Post Workers Association (CPEA). The CPEA itself was formed from the merger of the Dominion Postal Clerks Association, the Dominion Railway Mail Clerks' Federation, and the Mail Porters Association in 1928.
Maps Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Activity
The first major strike of CUPW was a wild strike in 1965 (before public sector workers had the right to attack or even form unions) and was the largest illegal strike involving government employees. The action won the right to bargain collectively for all public sector employees. Other major industrial acts included a strike in 1968 and a strike campaign in 1970 that resulted in the above average wage increase. Further strikes in 1974 and 1975 managed to secure job security in the face of new technology at the post office. The 1978 strike left CUPW President Jean-Claude Parrot imprisoned when the union opposed a return-to-work law passed by the Canadian parliament. CUPW's defiance of the law led to a temporary split between it and the more conservative Canadian Labor Congress. In 1981, after another strike, CUPW became Canada's first federal civil union to win the right to maternity leave for its members.
In 1981, the Canada Post was changed from government departments to crown companies, meeting long-term demand by unions. It is expected that by becoming a crown company governed by the Canada Labor Code, the relationship between the Canada Post and its union will increase. While strikes were much less frequent, there were spin strikes in 1987 and 1991 against plans to privatize poststores, both of which were terminated by law back to work and also saw an attempt by the Canada Post to break the strike by using fraud.
In 2003, CUPW successfully completed the organization of approximately 6,000 Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) into the Union and won the first collective agreement for these workers. This collective agreement is separate from the CUPW collective bargaining agreement. Two mutual agreements have a big difference. These differences are derived from RSMCs who were former contractors who were at odds with Canadian Post employees. For example, RSMC is paid in contract style system as opposed to every hour, RSMC is usually expected to find their own replacement during absence, and RSMC may hire assistants not employed by the Canada Post. Also in 2003 saw the first of many setbacks for the Urban Postal Unit when the contracts achieved included the elimination of severance pay. Members ratified the Urban Letters of Operation Agreement with a 65.4% vote.
On June 3, 2011, CUPW began conducting labor action against the Canada Post with a series of spin strikes. On June 14, 2011 at 1159pm EST, Canada Post announced the locking of CUPW members. The termination ended June 27, 2011, after Parliament passed legislation that made illegal termination of work further.
The last collective agreement of CUPW is signed in 2012 and ends January 31, 2016. The RSMC collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2015.
Other postal
In 1989, the Canadian Labor Relations Council forced most Canadian employees under one union. Until then CUPW, representing only "employees in" with Letter Carrier Union of Canada representing "outside employees" and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers representing a smaller specialized worker unit within the post office. After the ballot, CUPW was chosen to be the only union representing the combined unit of negotiations.
However, three smaller unions remain in the Canada Post. The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association includes 12,000 rural workers, the Canadian Post Officers Association has 3,400 supervisors and the Postal Communications Employee Union represents 2,600 technical personnel.
CUPW submitted several proposals of merger to the Canadian Postmasters but, to date, they have been rejected.
Working group
Unions representing different types of workers in the Canada Post are divided into four groups:
- Group 1: Workers inside - post and postage handlers.
- Group 2: External worker - mail carrier and Motorized Service Operator - comes from Letter Carriers' Union of Canada (LCUC).
- Group 3: Technical and general staff: mostly mechanics, electronic technicians, electrical experts - most of these require courses in technical or trade schools to enter and require to take the course. Coming from Canada's Public Services Alliance
- Group 4: Electronic specialists and foreperson, like groups of 3 workers, require courses in technical or trade schools to enter and require to take the course. Coming from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Private sector
The Canadian Postal Union represents workers outside the Canada Post such as cleaners, couriers, drivers, warehouse workers, paramedics, emergency medical personnel, printers and other workers and a total of 536 members in separate bargaining units.
Outside causes
Unions are also known to support political goals. He spends funds to participate in issues such as parenting, Cuba, abortion, Colombia, anti-racism, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), anti-global capitalism, decriminalization of marijuana, campaigns for women's equality and human rights. CUPW also protested the Vietnam War, supported the disarmament movement, opposed South Africa's apartheid regime and opposed the bombing of Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. CUPW also supports the International Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the State of Israel "... up to that time respecting international law and the rights of the inalienable Palestinians."
References
External links
- Canadian Postal Union
- Canadian Postal Union - Web Archive created by the University of Toronto Library
- CUPW Structure
- Working Post Working: A look at the whole century from CUPW
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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